The present invention relates to the field of remote controlled and computer assisted surgery, and more specifically to equipment and methods for remote controlled and computer assisted microsurgery.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,914 to Morimoto et al., “Master/slave” equipment for performing surgical procedures are known in which a surgeon's hand input is converted into a movement by a surgical effector, which while frequently referred to as a robot is more accurately a remotely controlled surgical effector, as it performs very limited motions which are fully automated. The conversion of the hand motions of the surgeon into movements of a surgical implement through such an effector is particularly useful for motion scaling wherein a larger motion in millimeters or centimeters by the surgeon's input is scaled into a smaller micron movement.
As described in Applicant's previously filed patent applications U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/738,359, 11/249,041, 11/255,899 and issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,630, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto, control systems for implementing such effectors were limited with respect to the feedback provided to the operators of such devices. Notwithstanding, the form of the actual effector which could be utilized to implement the improved control system likewise was limited in its utility, primarily as a result of the structure utilized to position and utilize surgical implements within the surgical field.
Manual surgical procedures, or non-computer assisted surgeries, are subject to human limitations. In manual surgical procedures, surgeons face difficulty in properly judging the three-dimensional geometries of objects encountered during a procedure, acquiring points with precision with surgical instruments, grasping and manipulating tissue over time, maintaining cognitive focus upon exertion of personal dexterity, recalling precise self motion for greater than a thirty-second period, maintaining motor performance over time, maintaining stillness during procedure, maintaining track of surgical field materials, multitasking when concentrating, and properly feeling tissue through instrumentation.
Likewise, the operating room environment in manual surgical procedures poses several major limitations with regards to stabilizing the position of the patient and the physically invasive nature of analog surgical microscopes. Surgical microscopes are, typically, large and bulky devices weighing up to 500 pounds. Such devices confine and obscure the line of sight view of the operating field to the surgeon and, thereby, limit the effectiveness of the individual surgeon. An example of such a device is the NC-4 Operating Microscope manufactured by Carl Zeiss. Further difficulty is created by use of such analog surgical microscopes by the fact that they must be removed from the patient and the operating room must be rearranged, creating a serious risk of loss of sterility.
Current systems using robotic instruments, such as the DaVinci System manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, can not be used for open surgery, or are limited to specific procedures, such as laparoscopic prostate surgery or gynecologic oncology procedures. Further, such systems require specialized training and certification. As discussed herein, the present invention provides a solution to the above-described challenges in the prior art.